Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Am I Flawed of Them All? Burden of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body dysmorphic Disorder is a body image disorder wherein the person is often swamped with persistent negative thoughts and emotions about the appearance of their body. People with body dysmorphic disorder can't seem to control their negative emotions and thoughts about the perceived flaws in their bodies which cause feelings of distress, shame, anxiety, and depression. Body dysmorphic disorder has been known to disrupt the daily routine of people suffering through it and undermine their mental and physical health.

According to the National Health Service, Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. While everyone is blessed with different and unique features, people with body dysmorphic disorder believe that one or more of their body's characteristics are flawed. This negative thought process compels people to make changes to their body features and characteristics they perceive to be flawed.

This disorder is closely related to obsessive compulsive disorder [OCD] because the person starts to incessantly and excessively worry about their physical appearance so much that it starts affecting their mental health and their daily routine. They tend to develop compulsive and repetitive behaviours such as looking at the mirror now and then or avoiding looking at the mirror when it becomes too distressing, excessive grooming, and picking at the skin.

Symptoms Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

• Spending excessive amounts of time obsessively thinking about the perceived flaw in one's body though others believe it to be insignificant or don't notice it.

• Continuously comparing one's appearance with other people's looks and features.

• Feeling compelled to check or fix one's appearance in the mirror while some people tend to overall avoid looking at mirrors or their reflections, in general, to avoid feeling distressed and anxious thoughts about their appearance

• Compulsive grooming behaviour like pulling one's hair or picking on skin

• Avoiding social situations that might bring notice to the features that a person with BDD doesn't like about themselves

• Undergoing repeated cosmetic procedures to fix their perceived flaw

• In extreme cases of BDD or cases of untreated body dysmorphic disorder people might experience thoughts of self-harm and suicide.

What Causes Body Dysmorphia?

Though it's not known what exactly causes body dysmorphia it is suspected to be multifactorial and a combination of psychological, biological, and social factors. The causes might include

• Genetics

• Social media and pop culture influence

• Abnormal brain chemistry and functions

• Bullying or teasing

• History of childhood neglect, abuse, and trauma

Diagnosing Body Dysmorphic Disorder

There aren't medical tests to diagnose Body Dysmorphic Disorder but psychiatrists and psychologists diagnose BDD with the help of some screening tests and questionnaires.

Most people with BDD don't get diagnosed until later in life until it becomes a serious enough condition to meet the diagnostic criteria of the disorder. This is mostly because the people with BDD are unaware of the negative thoughts and emotions they are experiencing concerning their body or in some cases people are afraid to acknowledge it out in the open due to the fear of being perceived vain by the society.

Management Of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

• Psychotherapy: It is a type of mental health therapy and uses a couple of therapy methods with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) being the most common type of talk therapy where the person learns to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Psychotherapy mainly focuses on processing negative thoughts and emotions a person experiences and learning coping strategies to deal with them.

• Antidepressants: Antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to help manage symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder.

Body dysmorphic disorder is manageable and a treatable mental health condition with the aid of medications and psychotherapy. Taking treatment for BDD helps people to manage and process their emotions healthily. Without treatment, the condition could turn fatal as self-harm and suicide are common in people with untreated body dysmorphic disorder.

Related: Eating Disorders May Result in Body Dysmorphia, says Study. Read at NewsGram: https://www.newsgram.com/general/2020/10/14/eating-disorders-may-result-in-body-dysmorphia-says-study